We left Chala to
visit the valley of Karan Khola up to the north
glacier of Mount Saipal (7030m). Karan Kolah has its source at this glacier and soon after flows
in the west-to-east direction, creating one of the relatively few Nepali
mountain valleys that is not oriented north-to-south. Several small summer kharkas (pastures) dot the valley.

Map:The itinerary
of this section of the trek is shown in red dotted line in the topographic map
below. Consecutive blue vertical and horizontal lines are spaced by 1km.

Mountain ranges north of HumlaKarnaliKhola seen from the
shoulder. The highest peaks at the center of the second photo below form NyaluLek. In 2014 I had trekked
on their northern side (see here).

Other views from the shoulder. Left: the KalunbaKhola canyon. Right: the merging of Karan Khola and GurgureKhola into KalunbaKhola, with the snowy 5698m peak and Chhote
Kang (5527m) on its left visible in the background. On the left of the second
photo the trail leading to SakyaLagna
is also visible.

Zoom on Chhote Kang and 5698m peak.

Another view of showing the lower part of the Karan
Khola canyon.

Views of the Karan Khola canyon after we passed
the shoulder, with high peaks around Mount Saipal in
the background.

[The Karankholakharka, the first kharka in the valley, is visible on the bottom-right of the
above photo.]

Man from Chala collecting hay on a steep slope.

Views of the Karan Khola canyon toward the
east.

Ravines and streams on the opposite side of Karan Khola.

View from the trail on a steep secton.

Another exposed section of the trail.

Stone huts at another kharka where we spent a
night.

Views just before and during sunrise from our camp.

Full moon setting down behind a mountain range seen from our camp.

Last (and largest) ravine on the
opposite side of Karan Khola, before the 90dg turn of
the river.

Beautiful autumn colors and light.

For a while our path followed the Karan Khola closely...

...until it started climbing again to
avoid a former landslide.

We put our camp in the last kharka of the valley.

View (toward the north) from our camp.

We spent two nights at the camp, where
Dawa#2 had arranged a nice kitchen (afternoon, evening, and morning photos).

View of the Karan Khola
valley further up, with Mount Phirankop in the
background.

Zoom on Phirankop.

Flat portion of the valley that have may
served as a base camp for climbing expeditions (view
toward the north-east).

Reaching the base of the glacier, again
with Phirankop in the background. Although higher Saipal′s summit (located o
the left) is still not visible.

Views of the Karan Khola
valley from the low portion of the glacier.

Ang Karma in a ″rough sea″ of
rocks. (On the lower part of the glacier ice is covered by a layer of rocks.)

Further up on the glacier.

As we were not equipped to go much further,
we decided to climb on the left (west) side of the valley to reach a place
offering a view of both Saipal′s and Phirankop′s summits. Now Saipal
is visible on the left.